Gregory Warner (missionary surgeon)

Gregory Warner (c. 1780 – after 1809) was a missionary surgeon associated with the London Missionary Society (LMS) in the early 19th century. Appointed to the South Seas, he was ordained in 1805 and sailed later that year to support missionary efforts in the Pacific.

Warner was appointed to the South Seas as a missionary surgeon and was ordained on October 7, 1805, at Spa Fields Chapel in London. He sailed to the South Pacific on November 6, 1805, and arrived in New South Wales in August 1806. He was initially assigned to the Hawkesbury Settlement by Samuel Marsden. However, Warner soon traveled to Tahiti to continue his missionary work, arriving there on May 12, 1807.^[1][2]

During his time in Tahiti, Warner was involved in both medical and missionary efforts, including aiding local leaders such as Pomare II and his stepfather, Ari'ipaea, who had fallen gravely ill after consuming poorly distilled alcohol. His skill and care saved their lives, and Ariipaea temporarily lost the use of his legs after the incident but eventually recovered.^[3]

In November 1808, due to increasing unrest and an insurrection against Pomare II, Warner relocated with other missionaries to Huahine aboard the Perseverance on November 10, 1808.^[4][5][6]

While at Huahine, the missionaries encountered several prominent figures from the region, including Tehaapapa I, the queen who had met Captain James Cook in 1769, as well as Tamatoa III, Tapoa I, Teriitaria II (who was 18 years old), Tamatoa IV (11 years old), Puru, Ariipaea, and his wife Itia, the former wife of Pomare I, along with other chiefs from the Leeward Islands.^[7][8]

Warner’s stay in Huahine was brief, and on October 26, 1809, he left the island with the other missionaries aboard the brig Hibernia, heading for Port Jackson (Sydney). James Hayward, another missionary, chose to stay behind in Huahine.^[9][10] During the journey, Warner secured a free passage to the East Indies and parted ways with his fellow missionaries at the Fiji Islands in November 1809, marking the end of his association with the London Missionary Society (LMS).^[11]

After leaving the LMS, Warner briefly spent time in Macao in 1811, where he stayed with Mr. Morrison, a fellow missionary.^[1]

Gregory Warner’s contributions to the missionary work in the South Pacific, especially in Tahiti and the surrounding islands, were significant in a time of great upheaval. However, little is known about his life after he left the LMS, and his exact date of death remains unclear.